New Books From The History Press

Thanks going out to my good friends at The History Press for sending along a selection of their newest releases. These look like a great grouping of books!

First up is Arkansas Late in the Civil War: The 8th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, April 1864-July 1865 (Civil War Sesquicentennial) written by David E. Castro.

From the publisher: At the request of Union general Ulysses S. Grant, in 1864 Major General Frederick Steele stripped the Department of Arkansas of twelve thousand men--half its strength--to support an expedition in Louisiana. And while the depleted infantry remained largely in garrison, the 8th Missouri Cavalry and its counterparts were ordered to patrol central Arkansas under horrid conditions and protect the state from guerrilla Rebels. The regiment spent nine long months battling against Confederate general Jo Shelby's efforts to raid the White River Valley behind Union lines while simultaneously battling to secure Arkansas' borders. Join author David Castro as he explores the 8th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry's perilous excursion into enemy territory.

Up second is The Battle of West Point: Confederate Triumph at Ellis Bridge (Civil War Sesquicentennial) (MS) written by John McBryde.

From the publisher: On February 21, 1864, Confederate and Union forces faced off over the banks of the Chuquatonchee Creek on Ellis Bridge in West Point, Mississippi. This three-hour battle pitted Nathan Bedford Forrest with his small but mighty cavalry against William Sooy Smith and his dogged Federal troops as they attempted to push through the prairie and destroy the railroad junction in Meridian. Smith's men did not succeed in their mission and suffered heavy casualties at the hands of Forrest in a precursor to the Battle of Okolona. Author John McBryde details the nuances of the battle that initiated Rebel opposition to the Meridian Campaign, including accounts from West Point locals of the time.

And up third comes Civil War Pittsburgh: Forge of the Union (PA) written by Len Barcousky. Barcousky is an editor and reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is the author of Remembering Pittsburgh also published by The History Press.

From the publisher: On Christmas Day 1860, the Daily Pittsburgh Gazette announced that more than one hundred cannons from the nearby U.S. Arsenal were to be shipped south. Fiercely loyal to the Union, Pittsburghers halted the movement of the artillery, which would have been seized by secessionist sympathizers. Over the course of the Civil War, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County provided both troops and equipment--including heavy artillery--in disproportionately large numbers. While no major battles were fought nearby, local soldiers and civilians sacrificed and suffered--the Allegheny Arsenal explosion in September 1862 left seventy-eight dead and was the worst civilian disaster of the war. Thousands dug trenches and joined militia companies to defend their city as others worked to support the wounded soldiers. Reporter Len Barcousky draws on the next-day reporting of the predecessors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to craft a gripping and insightful view of the Steel City during the Civil War.